Deck 1: Understanding Business Communication in Todays Workplace

Question 1

To be effective,business messages should ________.

A)use abstract words that lend themselves to interpretation
B)adopt an informal tone
C)never contain opinions
D)not make arguments or recommendations
E)show your readers how they will benefit by responding to your message

Answer 1

E
Explanation: E)To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, you should offer compelling, persuasive arguments and recommendations. Show your readers precisely how they will benefit by responding the way you want them to respond to your message.

Question 2

After a message is received,the receiver needs to extract the idea from the message,a step known as ________.

A)encoding
B)decoding
C)abstracting
D)indexing
E)cataloguing

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is true about communicating in today's business environment?

A)It is important to recognize that it is not possible to communicate ethically when the choices are not crystal clear.
B)Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling and other aspects of high-quality business writing are no longer relevant in today's technology-driven business environment.
C)Constructing compelling narratives-telling stories-is obsolete in today's fast-paced business environment.
D)Adapting your messages and communication styles to specific audiences is crucial to business communication today.
E)It is now an accepted fact that business communication skills are largely innate and cannot be learnt.

Answer 3

D
Explanation: D)Given the importance of communication in business, employers expect you to be competent at a wide range of communication tasks, adapting your messages and communication styles to specific audiences and situations.

Question 4

effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work?

A)Communication is important for most jobs, except technical jobs such as engineering or finance.
B)The higher you rise in your organization, the less time you spend using the technical skills of your profession, and the more time you spend communicating.
C)Good communicators are generally much easier to find than good accountants, good engineers, or good attorneys.
D)Good communication has not been linked to financial advantages for companies.
E)Communication is important for most jobs, unless you are an entrepreneur.

Question 5

Effective communication strengthens the connections between a company and all of its ________.

A)factions
B)cliques
C)stakeholders
D)captive audience
E)captive market

Question 6

Which of the following examples correctly illustrates the difference between what constitutes a communication medium and a communication channel?

A)A telephone is a medium, while a voice message is a channel.
B)A cell phone is a medium, while a text message is a channel.
C)A shipping company is a medium, while a printed report is a channel.
D)A podcast is a medium, while an intranet is a channel.
E)The Internet is a medium, while a Twitter tweet is a channel.

Question 7

Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 1.0?

A)reactive
B)information hoarding
C)permission
D)information sharing
E)high message frequency

Question 8

Which of the following is the first step in the basic eight-step communication model?

A)The sender transmits the message through a channel.
B)The sender produces the message in a medium.
C)The sender has an idea.
D)The sender writes the message.
E)The sender organizes the message.

Question 9

The most important element of audience-centered communication is ________.

A)etiquette
B)dialog
C)permission
D)discussion
E)high message frequency

Question 10

The traditional nature of much business communication was primarily defined by a publishing or broadcasting mindset.Which of the following scenarios best reflects this mindset?

A)A company airs advertisements during the Super Bowl to raise its visibility.
B)A company publishes a blog to keep customers informed of the company's activities.
C)A company CEO uses Twitter to interact directly with individual employees.
D)A company opens a Facebook account to connect with a younger audience.
E)A company holds a townhall-style meeting to respond to employee concerns.

Question 11

Effective business messages ________.

A)convey abstract ideas
B)provide practical information
C)are usually voluminous
D)do not attempt to influence the reader
E)are usually informal

Question 12

Which of the following is the last step in the basic eight-step communication model?

A)The sender transmits the message through a channel.
B)The audience receives the message.
C)The receiver decodes the message.
D)The receiver responds to the message
E)The receiver provides feedback.

Question 13

To be effective,business messages should ________.

A)use abstract words that lend themselves to interpretation
B)never contain opinions
C)present expansive and repetitive information
D)not make arguments or recommendations
E)give facts rather than vague impressions

Question 14

effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work?

A)Communication is important for most jobs, except technical jobs such as engineering or finance.
B)The higher you rise in your organization, the more time you spend using the technical skills of your profession, and the less time you spend communicating.
C)Good communicators are generally much easier to find than good accountants, good engineers, or good attorneys.
D)Companies that communicate well significantly outperform those that communicate poorly.
E)Communication is important for most jobs, unless you are an entrepreneur.

Question 15

effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work?

A)Communication is important for most jobs, except technical jobs such as engineering or finance.
B)The higher you rise in your organization, the more time you spend using the technical skills of your profession, and the less time you spend communicating.
C)Good communicators are generally more difficult to find than good accountants, good engineers, or good attorneys.
D)Good communication has not been linked to financial advantages for companies.
E)Communication is important for most jobs, unless you are an entrepreneur.

Question 16

The ________ is interactive,conversational,and usually open to all who wish to participate; audience members are not passive recipients of messages but active participants in a conversation.

A)publishing mindset
B)basic eight-step communication model
C)social communication model
D)broadcasting mindset
E)Business Communication 1.0

Question 17

In the basic communication model,when someone puts an idea into a message,he or she is ________.

A)encoding it
B)decoding it
C)broadcasting it
D)indexing it
E)cataloguing it

Question 18

To be effective,business messages should ________.

A)generate a specific response from a specific audience
B)adopt an informal tone
C)use abstract words that lend themselves to interpretation
D)not make arguments or recommendations
E)never contain opinions

Question 19

To be effective,business messages should ________.

A)use abstract words that lend themselves to interpretation
B)adopt an informal tone
C)present information in a concise, efficient manner
D)not make arguments or recommendations
E)never contain opinions

Question 20

Which of the following is true about communicating in today's business environment?

A)Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling and other aspects of high-quality business writing are no longer relevant in today's technology-driven business environment.
B)One should always communicate ethically, even when the choices are not crystal clear.
C)Constructing compelling narratives-telling stories-is obsolete in today's fast-paced business environment.
D)Adapting your messages and communication styles to specific audiences is unethical and, often, illegal.
E)It is now an accepted fact that business communication skills are largely innate and cannot be learnt.

Question 21

Which of the following is true about making ethical communication choices?

A)An ethical dilemma involves making a clearly unethical, and often illegal, choice.
B)An ethical lapse involves choosing among alternatives that are not clearly right or wrong.
C)In business scenarios, you cannot afford the luxury of considering the impact of your messages on the audience.
D)Deliberately omitting essential information is an ethical way of influencing the audience.
E)Decisions should achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm.

Question 22

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the social communication model?

A)It is hierarchical.
B)It is static.
C)It is unidirectional.
D)The frequency of messages is relatively low.
E)It presents information security risks.

Question 23

Business Communication 1.0 tends to be ________.

A)reactive
B)conversational
C)amorphous
D)isolated
E)multidirectional

Question 24

Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 2.0?

A)lecture
B)one to many
C)influence
D)control
E)static

Question 25

Which of the following constitutes ethical information?

A)a restaurant using photos of dishes that it does not serve on its website
B)a vendor including only essential information in promotional material mailed out to customers
C)a company paying customers to recommend its products to their friends
D)a manufacturer of cell phones asking its sales team to post favorable product reviews on social media
E)a hospitality chain deleting all negative comments from the company's blog

Question 26

Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 2.0?

A)unidirectional
B)egalitarian
C)resistive
D)structured
E)information hoarding

Question 27

________ marketing involves attempting to promote products and services to customers who don't know they are being marketed to.

A)Stealth
B)Ambush
C)Affiliate
D)Viral
E)Loyalty

Question 28

Business Communication 2.0 tends to be ________.

A)structured
B)hierarchical
C)unidirectional
D)reactive
E)intrusive

Question 29

Which of the following is true about making ethical communication choices?

A)An ethical dilemma involves making a clearly unethical, and often illegal, choice.
B)An ethical lapse involves choosing among alternatives that are not clearly right or wrong.
C)When making communications decisions, you must always consider if a decision that seems ethical now may seem unethical in the future.
D)Deliberately omitting essential information is an ethical way of influencing the audience.
E)In business scenarios, you cannot afford the luxury of considering the impact of your messages on the audience.

Question 30

Which of the following decision making scenarios presents an ethical dilemma?

A)A disgruntled employee of one of your competitors has offered to reveal details of his company's new strategy if you were to hire him. This competitor has in the past poached key executives from your company and engaged in industrial espionage in other ways.
B)You are manager of a large facility in a country where paying bribes to public officials is a way of life. Your company has a zero-tolerance policy toward bribing, but the officials are threatening to close down the factory, rendering several thousand workers jobless, if you don't comply.
C)It has been brought to your notice that the company competing with you for a major contract is trying to bribe and influence decision-makers in a bid to get the contract. Some of your executives feel that your company should also do the same because getting this contract will make a big difference to the company's future.
D)The last inspection at your plant revealed structural problems with some of the buildings that, if not fixed immediately, could compromise worker safety. However, your company is low on funds and taking on repair work will push the company into the red.
E)During a conversation with a friend, you come across information that will significantly impact the stock prices of a company's share in the near future. As Funds Manager at a bank, leveraging this information will allow you to improve the retirement savings of several senior citizens.

Question 31

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the social communication model?

A)It is hierarchical.
B)It is static.
C)It can lead to information overload.
D)The frequency of messages is relatively low.
E)It is unidirectional.

Question 32

Business Communication 2.0 tends to be ________.

A)amorphous
B)hierarchical
C)unidirectional
D)structured
E)intrusive

Question 33

Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 2.0?

A)resistive
B)information hoarding
C)planned
D)unidirectional
E)high message frequency

Question 34

In order to boost sales for its tablets,Zip Communications paid several students to carry the gadgets to college and talk to their friends and classmates about the great features of the product.What is the best criticism of Zip's decision?

A)It selectively misquoted information.
B)It failed to protect customer information.
C)It engaged in stealth marketing.
D)It violated a copyright.
E)It failed to respect others' privacy.

Question 35

A ________ is a form of legal protection for the expression of creative ideas.

A)patent
B)trademark
C)service mark
D)copyright
E)ghost mark

Question 36

Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 2.0?

A)permission
B)hierarchical
C)one to many
D)control
E)few channels

Question 37

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the social communication model?

A)It is hierarchical.
B)The number of channels is limited in this model.
C)The frequency of messages on this model is relatively low.
D)It blurs the line between personal and professional lives.
E)It is unidirectional.

Question 38

Business Communication 2.0 tends to be ________.

A)resistive
B)isolated
C)dynamic
D)structured
E)unidirectional

Question 39

In order to generate interest about the company's publications,the Media Manager of Gordon Books started a personal blog where she posed as an avid reader and amateur literary critic and reviewed the company's books favorably.She also invited readers to buy the books,discuss them online,and send in their reviews.Which of the following is the best criticism of the manager's action?

A)She engaged in plagiarism.
B)She selectively misquoted information.
C)She failed to protect information entrusted to her.
D)She failed to ensure transparency.
E)She failed to respect the privacy of others.

Question 40

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the social communication model?

A)It can cause distractions and hit productivity.
B)It is static.
C)It is hierarchical.
D)The frequency of messages is relatively low.
E)It is unidirectional.

Question 41

An activist group accuses a leading cell phone and netbook manufacturer of deceiving customers through its stealth marketing campaign.The group argues that stealth marketing is unethical.They claim that the company hired several actors and rewarded them for promoting products.The campaign involved visiting stores on weekends and during the peak season,using their products on commuter trains,bars,and coffee shops.Which of the following,if true,strengthens the argument?

A)Last year, thirty-five percent of Fortune 500 adopted Word of Mouth Marketing campaigns.
B)The company did not give their targets the opportunity to raise instinctive defenses against persuasive marketing messages.
C)Around seventy-five percent of cell phone consumers state that they heard of the product from friends.
D)The Advertising Standards Authority claims that leading companies are using stealth marketing to manipulate customer base.
E)The company offered 350,000 people a source of income through its stealth marketing campaign.

Question 42

Assigning a wide range of generalized-and often inaccurate-attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular group,without considering the individual's unique characteristics is referred to as ________.

A)ethical lapse
B)cultural competency
C)profiling
D)cognitive dissonance
E)stereotyping

Question 43

Which of the following is a guideline for improving intercultural communication?

A)Consider aspects like personal appearance when trying to judge a person.
B)Be flexible and be prepared to change your habits and attitudes.
C)Avoid using sources like travel guidebooks to learn about a culture.
D)Always assume that others will think, believe, and behave as you do.
E)Do not tolerate ambiguity of any kind.

Question 44

Which among the following is the most high-context culture?

A)American
B)English
C)German
D)Chinese
E)Irish

Question 45

When writing for multilingual audiences,you should ________.

A)use slang and jargon
B)use figures instead of spelling out numbers
C)use transitions sparingly
D)use abbreviations generously
E)use long paragraphs and sentences

Question 46

Which of the following is a guideline for improving intercultural communication?

A)Consider aspects like personal appearance when trying to judge a person.
B)Do not tolerate ambiguity of any kind.
C)Avoid using sources like travel guidebooks to learn about a culture.
D)Always assume that others will think, believe, and behave as you do.
E)Avoid ethnocentricity and stereotyping

Question 47

In high-context cultures,________.

A)people rely less on circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning
B)the primary role of communication is to build relationships
C)people rely less on the explicit content of messages to convey meaning
D)the conveyed meaning is encoded into the message itself
E)people rely less on cues to convey meaning

Question 48

________ is the tendency to judge all other groups according to the standards,behaviors,and customs of one's own group.

A)Cultural context
B)Stereotyping
C)Ethnocentrism
D)Ethical lapse
E)Ethical dilemma

Question 49

In low-context cultures,________.

A)the primary role of communication is to exchange information
B)people rely less on the explicit content of the message
C)people rely more on the circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning
D)people rely more on situational cues to convey meaning
E)the rules of everyday life are rarely stated explicitly

Question 50

Which of the following is a guideline for improving intercultural communication?

A)Consider aspects like personal appearance when trying to judge a person.
B)Avoid using sources like travel guidebooks to learn about a culture.
C)Recognize your own cultural biases.
D)Always assume that others will think, believe, and behave as you do.
E)Do not tolerate ambiguity of any kind.

Question 51

When writing for multilingual audiences,you should ________.

A)use slang and jargon
B)spell numbers out instead of using figures
C)use transitions sparingly
D)use abbreviations carefully
E)use long paragraphs and sentences

Question 52

When writing for multilingual audiences,you should ________.

A)use slang and jargon
B)spell numbers out instead of using figures
C)use transitions generously
D)use abbreviations extensively
E)use long paragraphs and sentences

Question 53

One aspect that is common across cultures is that ________.

A)the percentage of management roles held by men and women are roughly equal
B)age earns respect and increasing power and freedom
C)nonverbal signs like gestures or facial expressions are interpreted the same way
D)men and women tend to have slightly different communication styles
E)age is often associated with declining powers and a loss of respect and authority

Question 54

Which of the following is an effective tip for speaking with multilingual audiences?

A)Ask questions like "Is this too difficult for you?" to ensure understanding.
B)Adapt your conversation style to the other person's.
C)Make multiple points at a time.
D)Don't repeat your points.
E)Look for nods and smiles to ensure your audience is understanding your message.

Question 55

Which among the following is the most low-context culture?

A)Chinese
B)Indian
C)German
D)Japanese
E)Arab

Question 56

In low-context cultures,________.

A)people rely more on the circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning
B)the primary role of communication is to build relationships
C)people rely more on the explicit content of the message to convey meaning
D)people rely more on cues to convey meaning
E)the rules of everyday life are rarely stated explicitly

Question 57

When writing for multilingual audiences,you should ________.

A)use slang and jargon
B)spell numbers out instead of using figures
C)use transitions sparingly
D)use abbreviations generously
E)rely on specific terms and concrete examples to explain your points

Question 58

Jeremy is a manager at the telecommunication customer care branch of a leading router manufacturing company based in the U.S.He argues that hiring native speakers of English will ensure higher customer satisfaction and better customer care service.Which of the following,if true,weakens his argument?

A)Workers are more productive when managers communicate in their native language.
B)English fluency and accent modification are an integral part of training for customer care executives.
C)Global firms promote talented executives who can work in a multicultural diverse environment.
D)In the U.S., minorities are the fastest growing consumer group holding $3 trillion buying power.
E)Non-native speakers of English bring diversity to the workplace.

Question 59

Which of the following is true about communication challenges presented by cultural context?

A)A person from a low-context culture is more likely to view a high-context person's work culture as being insensitive to group harmony.
B)A person from a high-context culture is more likely to consider personal pledges more important than contracts.
C)In a low-context culture, people are more likely to consider gestures and tone of voice when receiving a message.
D)In a high-context culture, the rules of everyday life are stated explicitly.
E)A person from a high-context culture is more likely to adhere strictly to the law.

Question 60

In high-context cultures,________.

A)rules and expectations are spelt out through explicit statements
B)the primary role of communication is to exchange information
C)people rely less on cues to convey meaning
D)the conveyed meaning is encoded into the message itself
E)people rely more on circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning

Question 61

According to the basic eight-step model of communication,the communication process starts with the sender producing a message in a transmittable medium.

Question 62

In order to communicate effectively using technology,you should ________.

A)become an expert in most technologies
B)try to isolate high-priority messages that need your attention
C)use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication
D)use blog feeds and Twitter follows to the maximum extent possible
E)expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible

Question 63

Companies that communicate well significantly outperform those that communicate poorly.

Question 64

In order to communicate effectively using technology,you should ________.

A)subscribe to as many blog feeds and Twitter follows as you can
B)become an expert in most technologies
C)use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication
D)become familiar with the basic features and functions of the tools you use
E)expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible

Question 65

When using communication technology,it is important to ________.

A)use blog feeds and Twitter follows to the maximum extent possible
B)reconnect with people on the phone or in person frequently
C)use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication
D)pay equal attention to all the information-immediately useful or not-that you receive
E)expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible

Question 66

Business Communication 2.0 is bidirectional and tends to have high message frequency.

Question 67

________-which involves inviting input from groups of people inside or outside the organization-gives companies access to a much wider range of ideas,solutions to problems,and insights into market trends.

A)Ethnocentrism
B)Crowdsourcing
C)Applicant Tracking systems
D)Speech synthesis
E)Scaffolding

Question 68

The medium of a message refers to the form a message takes and the channel is the system used to deliver the message.

Question 69

In order to use communication technology effectively,you should NOT ________.

A)use the powerful filtering and tagging capabilities of your system
B)limit your presence on online social networks
C)connect with people face-to-face frequently
D)routinely activate visual alerts for incoming messages
E)try to control the number and types of messages you receive

Question 70

Decoding refers to the process of expressing an idea into a message using words and images.

Question 71

Which of the following is an effective tip for speaking with multilingual audiences?

A)Ask questions like "Is this too difficult for you?" to ensure understanding.
B)Look for nods and smiles to know if your audience is understanding your message.
C)Make multiple points at a time.
D)Don't repeat your points.
E)Learn important phrases in your audiences language.

Question 72

Advanced systems for videoconferencing can feature telepresence,a technology that allows you to ________.

A)view video images that are life-sized and extremely realistic
B)convert email and IM into voice messages
C)automatically forward incoming calls
D)contribute to and edit the same document from remote locations
E)hold meetings in virtual worlds like Second Life

Question 73

In order to communicate effectively using technology,you should ________.

A)guard against information overload
B)always activate visual alerts for incoming messages
C)use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication
D)use blog feeds and Twitter follows to the maximum extent possible
E)expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible

Question 74

The ability to follow accepted standards of grammar,spelling,and other aspects of high-quality writing and speaking is a skill employers expect of you today.

Question 75

An audience-centered approach to communication means that professionals focus on giving vague impressions to meet the needs of the audience.

Question 76

The social communication model is primarily defined by a broadcasting or publishing mindset.

Question 77

In order to use communication technology effectively,you should NOT ________.

A)use the powerful filtering and tagging capabilities of your system
B)let technology overwhelm the communication process
C)connect with people face-to-face frequently
D)limit your presence on online social networks
E)try to control the number and types of messages you receive

Question 78

Which of the following is a tip for speaking with multilingual audiences?

A)Ask questions like "Is this too difficult for you?" to ensure understanding.
B)Don't repeat your points.
C)Make multiple points at a time.
D)Do not assume the audience's smiles and nods to be a sign that they understood your point.
E)Avoid checking frequently for comprehension.

Question 79

The social communication model includes information overload,information security risks,and the need to monitor and respond to numerous conversational threads.

Question 80

Communication becomes less important as you take on leadership and management roles.